A Real-Time Simulation Tool for Fault Detection and Diagnosis of HVAC Systems

source

Computing in Architecture / Re-Thinking the Discourse: The Second International Conference of the Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD 2006), 25-27 April 2006, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

summary

In this study, a real-time simulation tool was developed for online monitoring, control and diagnosis of HVAC systems. A twozone variable air volume terminal reheat (VAV-TRH) HVAC system is considered. The developed program can be used in offline and online environments. The offline environment allows the operators to examine optimal control strategies, and to investigate problems associated with improper size of components which could be the root cause of the fault. The online environment is useful for monitoring, control and diagnosis of HVAC systems. A set of expert rules were applied to identify the faults. Simulation results show that the developed tool is able to correctly identify the fault patterns and therefore can be used for improving operating performance of HVAC systems.